How to Choose a Race Jammer

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Guest Post

If you watched this year's Olympic swimming events, you probably noticed a big difference than the last Olympics in Beijing. Namely, the male swimmers had ditched

the full-body suits worn in 2008 for jammers. Jammers are a style of swimsuit that covers the swimmer between the knee and waist.

So, why the change?

Well, the full-body suits that were introduced in early 2008 were a huge hit. World records fell to swimmers wearing Speedo's LZR suits within 2 weeks of the launch. The vast majority of gold medals in Beijing and in the World Short Course Championships in December '08 were by won by swimmers wearing full-body suits. Although FINA initially approved the full-body suits, they decided to do a u-turn and quickly tightened the regulations on race swim suits. This made jammers the standard race attire for male swimmers.

While FINA restricted the amount of suit coverage, this didn't stop manufacturers from innovating. In fact, in many cases, it intensified the race to help swimmers swim faster. Speedo has recently introduced the Fastskin3 product line, which the call a "race system." The offering bundles the suit, cap and goggles into one system. They claim that the three components work together to help reduce the swimmer's drag and help minimize muscle fatigue.

If you are considering buying a jammer, there are a few things you should consider. First and foremost, you'll want to arrive at a budget. Race jammers can range from $400 for high-end suits to $100 for entry-level race suits.

Keeping within your budget, consider the suit's fabric and stitching. These are the two areas that offer the most differences between suits. Most major manufacturers offer suits with hydro-repellant, muscle-compressing fabrics. These suits keep the swimmer in a streamline position as they glide through the water. The compression also helps minimize muscle fatigue, which enables the swimmer to recover faster between swims.

The stitching used by the manufacturers offers another subtle way to reduce drag. The high-end suits will use "stitchless" methods to join the fabrics. By using bonding instead, they avoid the raised seams that traditional stitching causes. Other suits use traditional stitching but aligns the seams with the direction of the water in an effort to reduce drag.

Ultimately, the suit needs to be a good fit. For that reason, it's a good idea to try on a suit before buying it. If you buy it online, be sure to order it from a company with a good return policy. Good luck.

About the author: Jason Day is a former swimmer looking to recapture some of those glory days.  Follow him on his blog.

A Guide to Surfing Etiquette

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Guest Post by Connor

Did you know that there’s a code of conduct that surfers are expected to follow, in Australia? Yes, there is. So if you thought you’d just grab your surf board and do what you please in the ocean, brace up. These rules of conduct are there to prevent aggression and accident on the waters. It’s best to understand them and comply with them to make the sport more enjoyable for all concerned.

Wait Till You’re Ready

Do not mix with professional surfers near the pipes unless you’re well and ready. When you’re a beginner, start in the white water closer to shore and work on your jump ups and paddling techniques. When you feel you are ready to try the bigger ones, choose an off-peak day and go to a less populated part of the break.

Don’t Get In Anyone’s Way While Paddling Out

Surfing accidents are common. While you’re paddling out, consider where you are going, and whether you can manage the break without injury to yourself or to others. Consider the prevalent currents as well. Don’t paddle into areas where surfers are riding. Stay out of their way or get back to white water when other surfers are paddling. If you’re on the back and others are riding the waves, try to stay out of the break zone.

Always Hold On To Your Board

Rogue boards are tossed about in the current and can slam into a surfer at speed, causing accidents. At all times, hang on to your board, whether you’re rolling, duck diving or whatever. If your board causes damage to another surfer, you’re liable.

Know Who Has Right Of Way

The surfer who’s riding closest to the breaking section, or the impact section, has right of way. If you find that a surfer is already riding or paddling the inside of a wave you want to ride, wait for a different wave. Don’t paddle on the same wave, because that’s considered ‘dropping in’ and the worst thing a surfer can do to another.

Avoid Snaking

If you notice someone on the outside of a wave waiting to get inside, allow that person to do so. Don’t try to get inside the wave to exert your right of way. That is a cheap trick and is called ‘snaking’.

Take Lessons In Surfing Etiquette

Continue with your surfing lessons till you’re sure you know most of the rules of conduct expected of you. Then take your instructor out there with you and practice your lessons. It’s best to practice breaking surfing etiquette under your instructor’s watchful eye so you’ll know what to avoid in future.

Learn The Variations In Surfer’s Etiquette

While the rules about dropping in, snaking, right of way and others are common on all beaches, some Australian beaches have specific surfing etiquettes. Before you head out with your board, check with the local surfing organization or training institute for the local codes of conduct.

Don’t Hog Waves

If you’re an expert surfer and you always catch every wave, that doesn’t give you the right to take them all. Some surfers do this, but it’s a common offence by kayakers, longboarders and stand up paddlers too. Polite surfers take a wave, and then give a wave.

Don’t Litter The Beach

Don’t throw your equipment, board, food items and other things about on the beach. Surfers are very territorial about their waters. They don’t encourage newcomers and definitely don’t entertain beginners who don’t respect their space. So try to keep the beach clean and pick up trash, even if it’s not yours.

Always Apologize

If you do happen to deny someone the right of way or if you snaked in or dropped in, apologize. If you break these rules and then just walk away without an apology, you will be creating much tension especially in a crowded lineup.

Communicate

If you’re part of a lineup and you’re ready to catch a wave, let the others know which way you are going. This will help them find their own waves. Also, if a surfer does step on your toes, refrain from verbally abusing him or her. This can lead to all kinds of aggressive behavior, especially if you’re a newcomer at an established surfer’s beach.

By Connor of Adrenaline

Get More Out of Your Bike Pedals

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Are you getting serious about your biking?  Well if you spend hours of your bike, you should consider Keywin Pedals.   They have lots of upsides and very few downsides.

Because the body of the pedal is made of a plastic/carbon composite they are lighter yet stronger than most other pedals on the market.  A lighter bike will keep you moving faster along your patch.

Like all road bike pedals, Keywin Pedals have a cleat that clips onto your shoe, this cleat can be adjusted left and right a few mm, down and up 10mm give or take a few mm.

Minnesota Sports News Nightly

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Minnesota Sports News Nightly offers a unique twist to general media content. With breaking news on the Minnesota Vikings, Twins, Timberwolves, and Wild, MinnesotaSNN also offers opinions that keep the reader wanting more.

The Sports News Nightly franchise was first founded in early 2010 and eventually expanded into the sub division MinnesotaSNN.com - The leader for Minnesota Sports News. Any Minnesota Vikings, Twins, Timberwolves, or Twins fan should check Minnesota Sports News Nightly daily for an update on what is happening in the Minnesota sports realm.
Even if don't live in Minnesota but are a fan of the Minnesota Vikings or any other professional team in the state of Minnesota you should check out what Minnesota Sports News Nightly has to offer.

MinnesotaSNN gets up to date information for multiple sources which includes the latest team press releases and the most unique opinions the sports media world has to offer. The Minnesota Vikings are the main focus of Minnesota Sports News Nightly, but they cover every aspect or every professional Minnesota sports team - even covering some collegiate teams.

Known as one of the first sources to break the Adrian Peterson arrest, Ricky Rubio injury, among many other breaking stories, Minnesota Sports News Nightly has insider access and exclusive one-on-one interviews to get player insight and quotes.

No matter if you are a Minnesota sports fan or not you can always check out the site to see what is happening to your division rival and the latest rumors regarding the Minnesota Vikings, Twins, Timberwolves, and Wild.

25 Interesting NFL Players on Instagram

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So football season is upon us again but this year will be different! How so, you ask? Well for the first time in history many NFL players have Instagram accounts and so for the first time you can get a behind the scenes glimpse into their lives, the team locker room and even the sidelines of NFL game.

If you are not yet familiar, Instagram is a photo sharing application for mobile devices like iPhones and iPads. You can follow your friends and family, celebrities, musical artists and sports stars. When you follow someone, the photos that they post on Instagram will show up in your feed. So if you followed the players on the Team USA Mens Basketball team, you would see behind the scenes photos of the players on their quest for gold.

For NFL fans, you can follow your favorite NFL teams on Instagram or you can follow NFL players on Instagram.  Whether your favorite player is Rob Gronkowski or Demarcus Ware, there are many top NFL Players using Instagram.  They share photos of the team and players from training camp, practices, in casual settings and sometimes right from the sidelines.

I am addicted to Instagram and enjoy following interesting celebrities for that backstage pass into their lives.  I think 2012 will go down as the year that changes the football fan experience forever because of Instagram.  We have compiled this list of all of the NFL team accounts and interesting NFL Instagram users.  Let us know if you know of other active Instagram users and we will get them added to the list.

Find Ideal Activity Centres in Scotland

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It is common for us to need change every now and then.  Health experts recommend that we deviate from the daily norms periodically to satisfy our need for change. There are dedicated institutions and hotels that offer a variety of activities for holiday visits. Scotland is one of the ideal activity centers for just such a holiday.  There are several places offering several activities to ensure that they meet the needs of everyone visiting the country for adventure. This article highlights some of the ideal places to get the best experience during your visit in Scotland.

Find a facility which is renowned for offering quality instructions on a variety of outdoor activities. The training should be offered to an individual, family or even a group. By equipping people with the necessary skills to handle most if not all of the available outdoor recreation, they also should provide facilities for training and competition for those interested in the adventures.

For the lovers of bikes, the Scottish Quads is an excellent place to start. With a variety of the most famous and recent quad bikes in the world, Scottish Quads welcomes everyone who visits them with a ride of their life time. Protective clothes such as helmet are offered by the facility.  Before one sets his hands on the accelerator, some lessons and instructions from world class qualified instructors are given to the visitors. Scottish Quads enjoys the advantage of a wide flat field extending several square hectares that helps in training as well as enjoying the perfectness of the bikes. Finally, those visiting this ideal activity center enjoys quality activities a pocket friendly price. 

Activities such as skiing, ice climbing and mountaineering are also popular in Scotland.  For the lovers of these activities, Nevis Range is worth paying a visit upon arriving to Scotland. Characterized by presence of snow sport and sightseers, Nevis Range assures its visitors optimal relaxation in the silent setting enjoying the scenery or even being part of the players in one or several of the varieties of activities available. Booking and payment process is available online and is cheaper than the word itself. 

Can You Experience is yet another ideal activity center in Scotland. It offers a variety of activities such as water activities and walks, boats and bikes for hire as well as outdoor activities such as sailing ad mountain biking. Its location on the shores of Loch Lomond makes it perfect for enjoying wonderful waters. There are plenty of other activities and adventure nearby as well as shopping and dining opportunities nearby.

Ensure that you check out the Can You Experience activity centres for additional information and more about discount offers before spend your vacation money in the wrong place!